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Sweat It Out With This Cycling Workout

Killer playlist totally included. Get ready to get pumping

Nov 25, 2013

Peter Yang

You may be able to sweat out a tough 45-minute group ride, but on your own that's likely less realistic. This cycling workout will keep you committed and riding hard for about 20 to 30 minutes.

The first step is creating a playlist with seven songs. Think of this as your "trainer"—the songs, which are based on specific beat-per-minute (or BPM) ranges, will help push you through your workout and keep you focused on moving at the right pace and intensity. Once your playlist is ready (see examples here), ride along to this plan for the calorie-torching, mood-boosting benefits of a cycling class ride.

1. BPM 100-110
Superstition
STEVIE WONDER (about five minutes)
This is your warm-up. Keep the resistance low (around 20 percent of your total power output, or a two out of 10 effort level) and stay seated: You're enjoying yourself without pushing. Muscles start to unlock, shoulders are relaxed, and hands are light on the handlebars wherever they're comfortable.

2. BPM 100-110
Stronger
KANYE WEST (at least three minutes)
Turn the resistance up a little (to about five out of 10) and stand up out of the seat. Your hands should be on top of the handlebars (rather than holding the sides) without leaning too much on them. If you're tall, you may feel more comfortable reaching out to the end of the bars, which is perfectly fine. Keep your chin up and chest proud, and focus on your abs—think light and tight as you ride, engaging your core the entire time. Get deep into the music here: It's important to use the song to keep your pedal stroke on beat with the music.

3. BPM around 115
Get Lucky
DAFT PUNK (at least three minutes)
Leave the resistance where it is and take a seat. Your pace and intensity will increase (to about 60 percent), and your cadence (the rate at which you pedal your feet around) should stay with the beat of the song. Keep your hips back in the seat, knees pointing forward, abs tight, shoulders relaxed, and feet flat. The real art of the ride here is that your foot speed stays with the song.

4. BPM around 115
Lose Yourself to Dance (Remix)
DAFT PUNK FEAT. PHARRELL (at least four minutes)
Everything stays the same—don't touch the resistance or get out of your seat—but you'll be interjecting fast-paced sprints (up to 80 or 90 percent of your total power) throughout the song. Ride at a steady pace for at least a minute, and then speed up for 30 to 60 seconds. You can also take a less technical, but just as effective, approach: Let the music tell you when to sprint. Sometimes this will be during the main chorus when the beat picks up, or it could be a particular verse that always really inspires you. Either way, you're looking to get in roughly eight to 10 sprints during this song.

5. BPM around 120
Take California
PROPELLER HEADS (at least five minutes)
It's time to tackle a hill, and there are two ways you can do this climb: Crank up the resistance (to about 70 to 80 percent of your total power output) and stand up out of your seat; or stay seated and only turn up the resistance slightly (to 65 to 70). Whichever you choose, it should be the most challenging resistance level of your entire workout. (If you have knee problems, be sure to listen to your body during the workout. Climbing seated is more challenging on the meniscus and IT band.) Be sure to keep your hips back and your feet flat as the balls of your feet push the resistance forward. If you want to mix it up, you can come out of your seat for a count of 16, then sit back down for 16, and continue alternating.

6. BPM 140–160
Flashdance (Remix)
DAVID GUETTA (at least five minutes)
Choose your personal Rocky-like theme song here—the song that truly gets you going—because this is where you push yourself to the limit. Turn down the resistance slightly (to where it was before the hill) and stay seated as you ride as hard as you can. It's super-important to watch your form when you're pushing this hard: Keep your abs tight, your knees in (not bowed out like you're riding a horse), and your shoulders relaxed. If you find yourself slowing at all, take 30 seconds at a slower pace, then crank it back up—don't give up until the end of the song!

7. BPM 95–100
A Thousand Years
CHRISTINA PERRI (at least four minutes)
You made it! This is your cooldown—your time to get calm, realign your body, and give yourself gratitude for making it through a tough workout. Close your eyes, listen to the song (it should be one that puts you into a great head space), and ride at a comfortable pace to bring your heart rate back down. At the end, spend five minutes stretching your quads, hamstrings, and glutes to help reduce post-ride soreness.

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